Obama Calls on Beijing to Stop Construction in South China Sea

November 18, 2015 9:30 AM

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MANILA — President Obama called on China on Wednesday to halt its construction on reclaimed islands in the South China Sea, raising the contentious issue at the start of a two-day economic summit meeting at which he and other Pacific Rim leaders also discussed trade and climate change.

Speaking to reporters after a meeting with President Benigno S. Aquino III of the Philippines, Mr. Obama directly confronted the disputed Chinese claims over islands in the critical waterway. He urged the Chinese to stop military activities there and endorsed a process of arbitration to settle diffe...

The United States takes no position on the territorial claims in the region of various Asian governments, but Mr. Obama has aggressively sought to defend the right of free navigation through the South China Sea, a vital route for commerce and trade. On Tuesday, he announced to several Asian nations to support their efforts to stand up to China.

Speaking to reporters after a meeting with President of the Philippines, Mr. Obama directly confronted the disputed Chinese claims over islands in the critical waterway. He urged the Chinese to stop military activities there and endorsed a process of arbitration to settle differences between Beijing and its Southeast Asian neighbors.

MANILA — called on on Wednesday to halt its construction on reclaimed islands in the South China Sea, raising the contentious issue at the start of a two-day economic summit meeting at which he and other Pacific Rim leaders also discussed trade and .

The United States takes no position on the territorial claims of various Asian governments in the region, but Mr. Obama has aggressively sought to defend the right of free navigation in the South China Sea, a vital route for commerce and trade. On Tuesday, he announced to several Asian nations to support their efforts to stand up to China.

Speaking to reporters after a meeting with President of the Philippines, Mr. Obama directly addressed the disputed Chinese claims to islands in the critical waterway. He urged the Chinese to stop military activities there and endorsed a process of arbitration to settle differences between Beijing and its Southeast Asian neighbors.

The United States takes no position on the territorial claims of various Asian governments in the region, but Mr. Obama has aggressively sought to defend the right of free navigation in the South China Sea, a vital route for commerce and trade. On Tuesday, he announced to several Asian nations to support their efforts to stand up to .

Later in the evening, Mr. Obama joined the other leaders in a tradition at the APEC meeting: donning clothes of the host country. This year, Mr. Obama and his counterparts wore a sheer, off-white linen shirt called a by the Filipino designer Paul Cabral, according to local news media.